Fire-escape



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Sheets-Sheet 1 L. G. PETTIS.

FIRE ESCAPE. No. 303,042. Patented Aug. 5, 3.884.

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L. G. PETTIS.

PIRE ESCAPE.

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L. G. PETTS. y

lFIRE ESCAPE.

No. 303,042. Patented Aug. 5, 1884.

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LESTER G. PETTIS, OF PLATE-A, PENNSYLVANIA. l

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATIO-'orming part of Letters Patent No. 303,042, dated August 5, 1884.

Application filed January 25, 1884. (No model.)

.To @i5 whom t may concern.-

`Be it known that I, L. G. PETTIS, of Platea, county of Erie, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement 5 in Fire-Escapes; and l do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description vof the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use it,referenee being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to improvements in dre-escapes; and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a top view of the ladders and connecting-frame. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine with the ladder removed; and Fig; 5 illustrates a preferred manner of supporting the ladder, as will be described.

The carriage is composed of the side beams, A. A, having the axle A at one end and the handle or shafts A2 at the other, and provided with the cross-bar A3 at theend of the side beams opposite the axle A. The wheels A* are spindled on the opposite ends of the axle A', as shown. Where so desired, the carriage may be provided with two pairs of wheels instead of one, as will be readily understood. Standards B B are pivot-ed at theirlower ends to the beams A A, near the axle A. Near the upper ends of these standards I pivot one end of bars B' B', the opposite ends of which are extended on the outer side of the carriage, and are connected by shaft C, which rest-s down on beams A, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This shaft isprovided with crank C. It will be seen that as'the lower end of the bars B B are moved toward the axle A the standards B B will be elevated toward a vertical position, so as tothrow the ladder up, all of which is clearly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In order to secure this adjustment of the barsv B', as described, I provide the rope or chain D, having its opposite ends secured to the axle A,and cross-bar Aand wrapped around the shaft C, so that as the said shaft is reo volved it will move along the rope, as will be readily understood from Figs. 1 and 4.

The ladder-connecting frame E is composed of side bars, e c, and the end bars, c e', conmeeting,` the side bars, e. This-frame is pivoted or journaled on the standards B by the shaft e2, extended through the said standards and the side bars, c, of the frame. The upright-s e are also journaled, near their lower ends, on this shaft c, and project up above the frame E, for the purposes presently described. The lower ends of these uprights are connected by the cross-bar e". The ladders F F are provided on their meeting or adjacent ends with metallic clips ff, which are journaled ou the shaft e2, and the ladders rest down against the end cross-bars, c', ofthe connecting-frame, as clearly shown. rlheladders are strengthened by rods j, and are braced firmly by the braces F2, which are secured at one end to the ladders near the outer ends of the latter, and their opposite endsji, are provided with openings slipped down over the uprights c, as clearly shown in Figs. 1,. 2, and 3. By this means the ladders are firmly braced with the connecting-frame and each other, and additional strength is imparted tothe machine. It will be understood that, instead of using the two ladders or sections and the connectingframe, a single long` ladder could be employed; but I prefer the construction shown and Ydescribed, as thereby a stronger and better device is provided.

On the outer or upper end of the ladder F I mount the side frames, F3 F3, in which I seeurethe horizontal bar F", which may be used by gymnasts in giving street exhibitions, but which is primarily intended as a pulley for the rope G', operating; the safety boat or carrier G, prescntly'described. This safety-boat is made of any desired shape to receive persons or valuables, .and of a width suitable to slide up and down on the rounds ofthe ladder. lt is manipulated and regulated in its ascentand descent by a rope secured to its forward end and passed up over bar F, and thence back down to the ground, as shown in Fig. l. In practice I prefer, instead of pivoting the ladders or connecting-frame directly to the standards, to use a construction such as that shown in Fig. 5. lt consists in providing the standards B with a head-block, H, and journaling vertically thereon a shaft, H', having arms H2, between which the ladder or its connecting-frame may be pivoted. By this means, when the ladder has been elevated to Ilo a window of a burning building and a person has climbed out onto its upper end, it may be swung on the pivot-shaft H, so as to throw the person away from the burning building and out of danger, when the descent to the ground may be safely made.

It will be understood that the ladder may be constructed with extension or telescopic ladders made in any of the well-known ways,

l. In a fire escape, the combination of a suitable supporting-standard, a shaft, e2, the connected frame E, having end cross-bars7 e, the uprights e3, pivoted ou shaft 62,' the ladders F-F, pivoted at their adjacent ends on the shaft e', and bea-ring on the cross-bars e', and the braces F2, secured at one end to the ladders, and having their other ends slipped over the upright e3, all substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The fire-escape,substantially as described and shown, composed of the carriage, the standardsB, th'e bars lB', shaft C, rope D, connettion E, shaft e, uprights e3, ladders EF, braces Il, bar Ft, boat G, and rope G', substantially as set forth, and for the purposesy specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I append my signature.

Lns'rnne. rnrris.

XVitnesses: v

CALVIN J. IIINDs, GEO. N. CUTLER. 

